Maintaining Direction and Leadership
Defining Direction Direction is usually percieved as "the path to go" or the "which way" when actually it is much more then that. Direction has many components to it in which "the path to go" is one of them, but these components don't sum to much without a full understanding or compliance with each piece. Things such as guidance, orientation, drive, and function can all be considered part of direction but what does it mean to have a directed team? Well a team having a direction is more of a feeling than anything and can really inspire motivation, passion, and efficency in the work place if achieved correctly. It is that feeling when it seems like everyone is going to the same place and is in tune with everyone else involved as a big system. Establish Leadership Clear leadership is important in all aspects of teamwork and Virtual Teams are no exception. Leadership gives the team a way to go, keeps everything in check, and makes sure deadlines are met. This guidence is especially neccisary in Virtual Teams in order to keep the direction and control of the team in check. The inherient difficulty in Virtual Teams is that work and communication is not tangible. Emails are impersonal and the computer creates a barrier between members. When goals and tasks are communicated effectively, team members can feel that their work has meaning even if they lack direct communication with the rest of the team (DeRosa 98). Darleen M DeRosa and Richard Lepsinger, authors of the book Virtual Team Success: a practical guide for working and leading from a distance, ''believe that one of the defferentiators between good and bad Virtual Team leadership is the ability to communicate team goals and direction. They have multiple ways to achieve this and here are just some of them - *"Early on in a team's formation, provide a clear sense of purpose." *"Involve team members in discussions about setting or prioritizing goals to increase commitment." *"Periodically revisit goals and insure that, given changes in the internal or external enviornment, they are still appropriate and feasible." *Goal statements should be "specific," "measurable," "aligned," "realistic," and "time-bound." There are many ways to lead Virtual Teams but the processes taken to guide them to success is similar to that of normal teams. In a normal team, or one that can meet and discuss things directly and oftenly, one could apply these exact same rules and focusus to have them succeed. The Virtual aspect of Virtual Teams holds these practices to a double standard. Keep Objectives Clear If the objectives are clear, misscommunication can be brought down to a minumum. Misscommunication is one of the more prevelant problems with VIrtual Teams so keeping objectives clear can boost the effectiveness of a Virtual Team. There are many technologies that can give clean and organized processes for teams to utilize but an objective could easily be lost in the midst of it. In the inherently adaptive enviornment, or one that is constantly changing, a team member or leader will need to keep their work, as well as the overarching plan, in check (Duarte 204). This can cause problems in a Virtual setting because team members can easily get lost in confusion and the communication barrier of using technology can be no help to this issue. The objectives of a project is one that a team leader should stress heavily. One cannot repeat what needs to get done enough. If everyone is clear on what needs to get done and when, then the process in a whole will allow the group to focus on execution. Overall Direction is important in a Virtual Team setting because the ability to organize and communicate with team members is hindered by the computer medium they work in. A leader should be able to grasp the group's talents and send them on their way in the most efficent way possible if any work is to get done. Setting goals for workers, stressing deadlines, maintaining a lot of communication with workers, and having a way to see the grand scheme of things are great ways to provide direction to one's team. An example of good and bad direction and how the direction of a project came to be highly important can be seen in our Case Study. References DeRosa, Darleen M., and Richard Lepsinger. ''Virtual Team Success: A Practical Guide for Working and Leading from a Distance. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2010. Print. Duarte, Deborah L., and Nancy Tennant Snyder. Mastering Virtual Teams: Strategies, Tools, and Techniques That Succeed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1999. Print. Jones, Caroline A., and Linda Pound. Leadership and Management in the Early Years: From Principles to Practice. Maidenhead: Open UP, 2008. Print.